Pitman-coupling.



No. 778,977. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. 0. A. JOHNSON.

PITMAN COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12,1904.

WWW I 5? WWW/M0 to be given reciprocating UNiTEn STATES Patented January3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HALF T0 NAPOLEON B. JOHNSON, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PITMAN-CJOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,977, dated January3, 1905.

' Application filed April 12, 1904. Serial No. 202,721.

To (tZL whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLoF A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis,in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinncsota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPitman-Couplings; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved pitman head orcoupling which is adapted to-automatically take up all play from wear;and to such ends it consists-of the novel devices and combination ofdevices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a pitman-head, aportion of apitman, and a part to which the pitmen-head is coupled, the said pitmanbeing designed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1. taken approximately on the line m m of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line m :12

.of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a section on the'line The numeral 1 indicatesa pitman', to one end of which is rigidly secured a socket 2, which isformed with a plunger-seat 3 with side flanges 4 and with one member 5of a pair of approximately semispherical ball seats or sockets, theother, the'cooperating ball seat or socket 6, being formed on theforwardly-projecting end of a lever 7 which lever is pivoted by a pin 8to the flanges 4 of the socket-like head 2. The said lever 7 is heldagainst lateral movements bythe flanges 4, but is free for pivotalmovements, so as to engage and disengage the half-sockets 5 6 with thespherical head or ball .9 of a member'lO, which is movements by thepitman.

Mounted to slide in the seat 3 of the head 2 is a so-called take-upwedge 11, the inclined face of which engages the inner end of the lever7 As shown, the take-up wedge 11' arate.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section is formed with a flange 12 and a stem 13,both of which telescope into suitable seats in the head 2. A coiledspring 14', placed on the stem 13 and compressed between the wedge 11and the head 2, yieldingly forces said.

Wedge into engagement with the lever 7. The bevel of the face of thewedge 11 is such that pressure thereon from the lever 7 cannot move thesaid wedge into a retracted position against friction and the tension ofthe spring 14. Hence it is evident that under the tension of its spring14 the Wedge 11 will be moved forward and outward, and acting on thelever 7 will take up all play due to wear and always maintain closeengagement between the half sockets or seats 5 6 and the spherical head9. Any play taken up by the wedge 11 will not be again let out, andhence,

pressure on the sockets 5 6 from the ball or head 9 will notcause thesaid sockets to sep- When it is desired to uncouple the head 9 from thesockets 5 6, the take up wedge 11 must be positively forced into aretracted position by force applied directly thereto. This may be doneby engaging the said Wedge by a tool of proper form which is capable ofbeing inserted into engagement therewith.

The device described while of small cost and extremely simple iseflicient for the purposes had in view. The device described is ofcourse capable of modification within the scope of my invention asherein set forth and claimed. n v i The pitman coupling or headwhile-capable of'general use is especially adapted for use to connectthe pitmen of mowers and other agricultural machines to theirreciprocating sickle-bars.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. The combination with the ball or journal, of a pair of cooperatingsocket members, one of which has a pivotal movement with respect to theother, and a spring-pressed takeup wedge operating on said socketmembers, to force them onto the said ball or journal, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a ball or head, of

and a spring-pressed take-up wedge operating of said head from betweenthe socket members, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a member having.

a head 9, of a pitman having a head 2 formed with a wedge-seat 3 andwith a half-socket 5, 'the lever 7 pivoted between the flanges of saidhead 2 on a pin 8 and formed with the halfsocket 6,and the springpressed take-up wedge 11 mounted in said wedge-seat 3 and engaging theinner end of said lever 7 substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in 15 presence of twoWitnesses.

, OLOF A. JOHNSON' Witnesses:

ROBERT C. MABEY, F. D. MERCHANT.

